---
name: chown
status: documented
runtime: pp
source: src/runtime/pp/filemod.rs
---
```{index} single: chown; Perl built-in (pp runtime)
```

# chown

## Synopsis

```perl
chown $uid, $gid, @files;
chown 0, 0, '/etc/shadow';
chown -1, $gid, @files;    # -1 leaves uid unchanged
```

## Description

Changes the owner and group of one or more files.

Changes the owner and group of each listed file. The first argument is
the numeric UID, the second is the numeric GID, and the remaining
arguments are file paths. A value of -1 for either UID or GID means
"don't change that field" (converted to `u32::MAX` for the libc call).
Uses `libc::chown` (follows symlinks). Returns the number of files
successfully changed.

## See also

chmod, stat